Comments on: It’s That Most Wonderful Time Of Year…Rankings Time… http://www.eduwonk.com/2009/12/c.html Education News, Analysis, and Commentary Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:00:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Allison http://www.eduwonk.com/2009/12/c.html/comment-page-1#comment-129373 Allison Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:48:42 +0000 http://www.eduwonk.com/?p=5030#comment-129373 Couldn't over-representation in a top slice of the rankings just suggest that the variance in quality is higher for charter schools? It isn't necessarily evidence for a higher mean. And isn't that generally accepted? Charters are allowed more flexibility, so we shouldn't be surprised if they are more likely to be exceptionally good, and also more likely to be exceptionally bad. Couldn’t over-representation in a top slice of the rankings just suggest that the variance in quality is higher for charter schools? It isn’t necessarily evidence for a higher mean. And isn’t that generally accepted? Charters are allowed more flexibility, so we shouldn’t be surprised if they are more likely to be exceptionally good, and also more likely to be exceptionally bad.

]]> By: Rob Clifford http://www.eduwonk.com/2009/12/c.html/comment-page-1#comment-128990 Rob Clifford Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:26:57 +0000 http://www.eduwonk.com/?p=5030#comment-128990 Let's say a student attempts 5 AP exams and passes 1 of them. Is that a quality performance? I wouldn't think so, but it is treated as such in the USN model. The "Quality Adjusted Participation Rate" is based on the "Number of AP/IB test takers PASSING AT LEAST 1 exam/Number of 12th graders." So, while the overall approach is more thorough than Newsweek's, this particular component strikes me as problematic. Let’s say a student attempts 5 AP exams and passes 1 of them.

Is that a quality performance?

I wouldn’t think so, but it is treated as such in the USN model.

The “Quality Adjusted Participation Rate” is based on the “Number of AP/IB test takers PASSING AT LEAST 1 exam/Number of 12th graders.”

So, while the overall approach is more thorough than Newsweek’s, this particular component strikes me as problematic.

]]> By: Attorney DC http://www.eduwonk.com/2009/12/c.html/comment-page-1#comment-128860 Attorney DC Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:50:54 +0000 http://www.eduwonk.com/?p=5030#comment-128860 In addition, in all my years at TJ, I can't remember a single discipline problem or a student "acting up" or disrupting the learning of the other students. Sure, you had kids show up a couple minutes late to class or kids occasionally skipping class (especially second-semeter seniors) but there were never fights, or kids cursing at teachers, or refusing to work, or not caring about their grades. The lack of discpline problems made it much easier for the students at TJ to learn, without any distractions. And I'm sure the students' behavior made it easier for the teachers to teach. In addition, in all my years at TJ, I can’t remember a single discipline problem or a student “acting up” or disrupting the learning of the other students. Sure, you had kids show up a couple minutes late to class or kids occasionally skipping class (especially second-semeter seniors) but there were never fights, or kids cursing at teachers, or refusing to work, or not caring about their grades. The lack of discpline problems made it much easier for the students at TJ to learn, without any distractions. And I’m sure the students’ behavior made it easier for the teachers to teach.

]]> By: Attorney DC http://www.eduwonk.com/2009/12/c.html/comment-page-1#comment-128858 Attorney DC Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:43:59 +0000 http://www.eduwonk.com/?p=5030#comment-128858 As a former TJ student, I second Linda's assertion that the "secret" to high-performing schools is selection of the student population. At TJ, we had good teachers and bad teachers, classes where I learned a lot and classes where I didn't learn as much -- just like other schools. The difference was that all the students were pre-selected for their motivation, intelligence, and test-taking skills. As a former TJ student, I second Linda’s assertion that the “secret” to high-performing schools is selection of the student population. At TJ, we had good teachers and bad teachers, classes where I learned a lot and classes where I didn’t learn as much — just like other schools. The difference was that all the students were pre-selected for their motivation, intelligence, and test-taking skills.

]]> By: Linda/Retired Teacher http://www.eduwonk.com/2009/12/c.html/comment-page-1#comment-128830 Linda/Retired Teacher Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:55:06 +0000 http://www.eduwonk.com/?p=5030#comment-128830 We have some very high-scoring public schools (charter and traditional) in the Los Angeles area where I live. All (as in 100%) these schools have discovered the "secret" to a high-performing school: a select student population. This goes for colleges and universities as well. We have some very high-scoring public schools (charter and traditional) in the Los Angeles area where I live. All (as in 100%) these schools have discovered the “secret” to a high-performing school: a select student population. This goes for colleges and universities as well.

]]> By: edlharris http://www.eduwonk.com/2009/12/c.html/comment-page-1#comment-128564 edlharris Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:21:12 +0000 http://www.eduwonk.com/?p=5030#comment-128564 Both your post and the US NEws report should say "Best Public High Schools". I was 3/4 of the way thru the list when I noticed I didn't see any Catholic High Schools. Both your post and the US NEws report should say “Best Public High Schools”.
I was 3/4 of the way thru the list when I noticed I didn’t see any Catholic High Schools.

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